Scammed by Quick PC Experts? Here's What to Do

Infopackets Reader Jeanie G. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I believe I have been scammed by Quick PC Experts (quickpcexpert.com). I was using my web browser and suddenly a virus warning appeared on my screen, stating that I needed to call Microsoft certified support at 1-855-724-2570. There was no way for me to close the virus alert window. I was very frightened and so I called the 1-800 number. The person I spoke to had a very thick Indian accent. Quick PC Expert then confirmed that my computer was infected, and that's when I let them remotely connect to my PC. They installed a firewall and Webroot antivirus, then charged me $499 for 'unlimited securities support'. The $499 charge is listed as being from 'Nexway' in San Francisco, CA, but Quick PC Expert website says they are operating out of Florida. After reading your articles about Live PC Experts, I'm worried that the scammers still have access to my machine and may delete my files or lock me out of my computer if I cancel my payment. Can you please help? "

My response:

Any time your computer tells you to call a 1-800 number to "fix" a "problem" and it costs you money, it's a scam - guaranteed.

For the record, Quick PC Expert (www.quickpcexpert.com) is registered to "Sumit Singh" in New Delhi, India according to GoDaddy's whois records. The website quickpcexpert.com was registered and began operations on June 12, 2019.

These are the same scammers that also operate under Smart PC Experts (smartpcexperts.com), Right PC Experts (rightpcexperts.com), Live PC Experts (livepcexpert.com), PC Network Experts (pcnetworkexperts.com), and Web Network Experts (webnetworkexperts.com). All these websites use different 1-800 numbers, which are directed to call centers in India. You have to wonder why the same company has multiple 1-800 numbers and different website brands.

The answer: is simple - it's a scam!

Quick PC Experts = Fake Tech Support

The primary motive of the scammers is to sell fake tech support packages ranging from $199 to $499 initially. They are able to do this by scaring customers through fake virus popups (similar to what Jeanie described), or by making unsolicited phone calls.

They will call their victims back - whether it's a few weeks, months later - and claim else is wrong. They will then proceed to charge hundreds or thousands of dollars in extra fake tech support because these "new problems" are "not covered" by the initial fake tech support package.

If payment is not received, things will get nasty real quick. At this point, scammers will threaten to delete all your files remotely, or lock you out of the machine.

Assuming things don't go south right away, the scam will go on forever until (a) the victim wises up, (b) the victim runs out of money, or (c) the scammers acquire the necessary information to drain the victims bank account. The latter case proved to be true for one of my clients that had $18,000 stolen from his account only days after letting the scammers into his machine.

Visually, here is what the scam looks like:

Remote Access Backdoors Must Be Removed

Once you let the scammers into your machine (initially), they will immediately plant malware and multiple remote access backdoors. This means the scammers can get back in to your machine whenever they want, and it would go completely undetected.

The reasoning for the hidden remote access this is two-fold:

• One reason is that they can access your data (to steal financial information), or propagate more scams remotely on your machine. For example, they may call and claim that hackers are using your machine to "commit crimes". As "proof" that "hackers are in the machine", they will make your screen go wavy. They are able to do this because they have remote access to the machine, and are therefore able to execute programs on machine while speaking to you on the phone. While a wavy screen may sound like a silly scare tactic, it is enough to frighten most folks into forking over more money - usually hundreds or thousands of dollars for more fake tech support.
   
• The second reason is that if you don't agree to pay the scammers more money, or if you cancel a payment, they will threaten to delete all your files or lock you out of the machine. On more than one occasion I have personally witnessed them follow through with these threats. They can do this by installing a remote ticking time bomb using malware, or manually using the remote access backdoors.

Scammed by Quick PC Experts? Here's What to Do

1. If you paid by credit card, call the credit card company and complain. Be advised that if you attempt to reverse / block payment, the scammers will punish you remotely by deleting all your files or lock you out of the machine. In this case, it is advisable to contact a reputable tech support firm (such as myself - contact link here) and ensure that the remote access backdoors have been removed prior to making the claim.
    
2. If you gave them a void check, you are in serious trouble as the scammers now have your name, phone number, address, bank name, bank address, routing number, account number, etc. In this case, you will need to call your bank and tell them what is happening. The bank will be able to monitor your account (hopefully without charging you) and block potential fraud. However, this approach has some major limitations.
   
   The reason here is that the bank can only monitor transactions from a certain company NAME in order to block the transaction. The problem here is that scammers operate with multiple "shell" company names as I've already pointed out, and you simply don't know what company name is going to take the money from your account. As such, blocking transactions by company name is pretty much useless.
   
   There are other bullet-proof ways to block transactions to ensure your money is safe, but it is much more involved. Based on my experience this requires some explaining, so if you need help with this I am more than happy to assist - contact link here.
    
3. If you paid by gift card (App Store, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon etc), you can kiss the money goodbye, as this is irreversible as soon as you give the scammers the PIN number on the back of the card. Feel free to call the company associated with the card and attempt to block the transaction, but this won't get your money back.
    
4. Finally, hire a REAL professional (such as myself - contact link here) to look over your system to undo the damage caused by the scammers. Based on my experience, these scammers will leave ON AVERAGE 3 to 5 hidden, open connections on your system. That means they can get back into your computer and do whatever they want, whenever they want. They could have also installed surveillance / malware on your computer to sniff passwords and financial information. A real PC expert, such as myself, can find these backdoors and threats and eliminate them. Based on my experience, antivirus and antimalware won't find these threats because they are often legitimate software programs used in nefarious ways. You have been warned!

For the record, I have helped countless people with this scam and know exactly where to look.

Additional 1-on-1 Support: From Dennis

If you are reading this article right now because you've been scammed, I can help. I get emails all the time about this scam; some people even ask me "How do I know you're not a scammer, too?" My response to this is that you can read my articles I've published over the last few years and also review my resume. Based on that, you should be able to understand that I am in fact legitimate, compassionate, and am more than willing to lend a hand - simply contact me, briefly describing the issue and I will get back to you as soon as possible.